Kick bag for physical therapy

ABSTRACT

A striking bag assembly which includes a primary bag suspended from a fixed support and an anchor bag suspended from the primary bag. The anchor bag is smaller and heavier and, therefore, considerably denser than the primary bag. More specifically, the anchor bag is pivotally connected to the primary bag and the primary bag is pivotally connected to the fixed support.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) ofprior U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/217,267 filed Jul. 11, 2000;all of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

[0002] This invention has been created without the sponsorship orfunding of any federally sponsored research or development program.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] The present invention is directed to a striking bag or kick bagfor physical training. The physical training can be for activities suchas boxing, martial arts, aerobics, or as part of an overall physicalfitness program. The bag is not limited to kicking and may be punched asin the case of training by a boxer.

[0004] Kick bags are relatively heavy as compared to “punching bags”which are most often associated with boxing. For this reason, kick bagsare frequently referred to as “heavy bags”, and range from 25 pounds to100 pounds. Most kick bags are suspended from a fixed support and swingwhen kicked. The weight of the bag provides resistance to kicking and,therefore, promotes timing and strengthening of the muscles involved indelivering a kick. Kick bags are a popular and widely used training toolfor a wide range of physical activities.

[0005] Despite their popularity, suspended kick bags have certainlimitation. In order to provide resistance to kicking, the kick bag mustbe relatively heavy and, due to space restrictions, must also berelatively dense. Bag densities range from 7 pounds to 11 pounds percubic foot. Although kick bags are filled with a compressible material,the impact resistance of the kick bags can be detrimental to the jointsof young or untrained users and cannot be used as part of anyrehabilitation exercise. In spite of this resistance to impact, highlyskilled and conditioned kickers can deliver a kicking blow with suchtiming and force to cause even the heaviest bag to swing a substantialamount. In a sense, this provides positive feedback to the kicker.However, the kicker must wait for the bag to “settle down” or “catch”the bag to stop it from swinging. The efforts to “settle” the kick baginterferes with the user's workout. One solution to this problem is tohave another person stand behind the bag to prevent it from swinging.The need to have another person involved is a very limiting factor. Ifthe kickers work as a pair, their own workouts are cut in halftime-wise.

[0006] The problems associated with the swinging of the suspended kickbag are avoided by free standing kick bags. This type of kick bag ismounted on a base filled with sand or water. The bag and base assemblyweighs between 150 pounds and 275 pounds. The high weight of this typeof kick bag makes it difficult to move and may be too heavy for someindividuals to move. These and other difficulties experienced with theprior art kick bags have been obviated by the present invention.

[0007] It is, therefore, a principal object of the present invention toprovide a suspended striking bag or kick bag which avoids all of theproblems of prior art suspended kick bags.

[0008] Another object of the invention is the provision of a suspendedstriking bag which provides a low impact to kicking and is highlyresistant to swinging from kicks.

[0009] A further object of the invention is the provision of a suspendedstriking bag that is lighter than prior art suspended striking bags orkick bags of comparable size and provides greater resistance to kickingthan said prior art kick bags.

[0010] Another object of the present invention is the provision of asuspended striking bag which is easy to use and store.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0011] In general, the invention consists of a kick bag or striking bagassembly which includes a primary bag adapted to be suspended from afixed support and an anchor bag suspended from the primary bag. Theanchor bag is smaller and heavier and, therefore, considerably denserthan the primary bag. More specifically, the anchor bag is pivotallyconnected to the primary bag and the primary bag is pivotally connectedto the fixed support.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] The character of the invention, however, may be best understoodby reference to one of its structural forms, as illustrated by theaccompanying in which:

[0013]FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a striking bag assemblyembodying the principles of the present invention;

[0014]FIG. 2 is a horizontal cross-sectional view of the primary bagportion of the striking bag assembly taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1 andlooking in the direction of the arrows; and

[0015]FIG. 3 is a horizontal cross-sectional view of the anchor bagportion of the striking bag assembly taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1 andlooking in the direction of the arrows.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] Referring to the drawings, the striking bag assembly of thepresent invention is generally indicated by the reference numeral 10 andincludes a primary bag 12 adapted to be suspended from a fixed support,generally indicated by the reference numeral 14 and an anchor bag 16suspended from the primary bag 12 by means of a lower suspension system,generally indicated by the reference numeral 12. The primary bag 12 hasan elongated cylindrical shape and is composed of a soft resilientlycompressible material such as foam plastic 24 enclosed within a casing,or cover 22 of a pliable material such as leather or vinyl. The upperend of the casing 22 has an upper loop 34. The lower end of the casing22 has a lower loop 36. The anchor bag 16 comprises a cover, or casing26 of a pliable material such as leather or vinyl containing arelatively heavy granular material such as sand 28. The upper end of thecasing 26 has a loop 25.

[0017] The fixed support 14 includes a rigid bracket 30 attached to afixed structure 32 such as a wall or beam. The upper suspension system18 comprises a heavy duty flexible strap 44 supported on the bracket 30the strap 44 is looped over a horizontally extending portion 47 of thebracket 30. The strap 44 is prevented from sliding off the portion 47 bya stop such as a bolt 48. The strap 44 can also be fixed to the portion47 by a fastener. One end of the strap 44 is fixed to a buckle 46. Theother end of the strap 44 is looped through a ring 42 and then extendedthrough the buckle 46 to enable the effective length of the strap 44 tobe adjusted. The upper loop 34 of the casing 22 is looped through a ring38. An intermediate ring 40 is looped through the ring 38 and the ring42. The rings 38, 40 and 42 provide a universal swing connection whichenables the primary bag 12 to swing in any direction, regardless atwhich point the primary bag is struck.

[0018] The lower suspension system 20 includes a heavy duty flexiblestrap 56. One end of the strap 56 is fixed to a buckle 58. The other endof the strap 56 is looped around a ring 60, then through a ring 54 andthrough the buckle 58 to enable the effective length of the strap 56 tobe adjusted. The loop 25 of the anchor bag 16 is looped around the ring60. The lower loop 36 of the primary bag 12 is looped around a ring 50.An intermediate ring 52 is looped around rings 50 and 54. Thearrangement of rings 50, 52 and 54 enable the anchor bag 16 to swing inany direction from the lower end of the primary bag 12.

[0019] The anchor bag 16 is considerably smaller and preferably heavierthan the primary bag 12 and therefore, considerably denser than theprimary bag 12. The anchor bag 16 is at least as heavy as the primarybag 12 and can be twice as heavy as the striking bag portion 12. Theideal condition is to have an anchor bag 16 which is from 33 percent to50 percent heavier than the primary bag 12. The density of the anchorbag 16 can be from 30 times to 60 times that of the primary bag 12, 40times being ideal. The actual density of the primary bag 12 can be from1.5 pounds per cubic foot to 3.0 pounds per cubic foot, 2.5 pounds percubic foot being ideal. This is in contrast to the density of “heavy”kick bags which range from 6 to 11 pounds per cubic foot. Therefore, theprimary bag 12 provides a relatively soft, resiliently deformablesurface which has low surface impact resistance to kicking or strikingwith the fist regardless of how hard the primary bag 12 is struck. Inspite of its lightness, the primary bag 12 is prevented from swinging toany significant degree from its support by the anchor bag 16. Examplesof primary bag and anchor bag combinations which are near the ideal are:1.) a junior primary bag which is 36 inches long, has a diameter of 12inches and weighs 6 pounds uses with an anchor bag which has a diameterof 6 inches, is 5 inches long and weighs 8 pounds, and 2.) an adultprimary bag 42 long, a diameter of 14 inches and weighs 10 pounds usedwith an anchor bag 6 inches long, a diameter of 7.5 inches and weighs 15pounds.

[0020] When the primary bag 12 is struck by a kick or a punch, the lowerpart of the primary bag 12 is prevented from swinging very far from itssuspension system 18, due to the restraining affect of the anchor bagportion 16. Energy from the kick or punch is eventually transferred tothe anchor bag 16. However, since the anchor bag 16 is suspended fromthe primary bag 12 by the swivel type lower suspension system 20, thereis a delay in the movement of the anchor bag 16. A significant portionof the energy from the strike is used to overcome the resting inertia ofthe anchor bag 16. When the anchor bag 16 does move away from thekicker, the striking bag portion 12 is returning toward the kicker.Therefore, the motions of the primary bag 12 and anchor bag 16 are inopposite directions and quickly cancel each other out. Not only is theprimary bag 12 prevented from moving very far from the initial strike ofthe kicker due to the affect of the anchor bag portion 16 but it returnsto its initial vertical suspended position very quickly after a blow hasbeen delivered to the primary bag. The elastic straps 44 and 56 alsoabsorb some of the striking force to the primary bag 12 and add to thedampening affect provided by the anchor bag 16.

[0021] The primary bag can also be an air filled bladder. The outercasing is a relatively heavy air impervious material such as rubber orother elastomeric material. However, the overall weight of the airfilled bladder is somewhat less than that of the primary bag 12 which isfilled with foam plastic.

[0022] The invention having been thus described, what is claimed as newand desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

What is claimed is:
 1. A striking bag assembly comprising: (a) a primarybag adapted to be suspended from a fixed support for swinging motionrelative to said fixed support when said primary bag is subjected to ahorizontal force, said primary bag having a pliable casing and filledwith a resiliently compressible first material which enables the primarybag to be safely struck by a person, and (b) an anchor bag suspendedfrom said primary bag and having a substantially smaller volume thanthat of said primary bag, said anchor bag having a casing and filledwith a second material which is substantially denser than said firstmaterial.
 2. The striking bag assembly as recited in claim 1, whereinsaid striking bag is adapted to be suspended for swinging motionrelative to said fixed support and wherein said anchor bag is suspendedfor swinging motion relative to said primary bag by means of a connectorassembly.
 3. The striking bag assembly as recited in claim 2, whereinsaid connector assembly comprises a universal swing connector.
 4. Thestriking bag assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein said primary baghas a lower end, said anchor bag has an upper end and said universalswing connector comprises: (a) a first ring connected to the lower endof said bag; (b) a second ring operatively connected to the upper end ofsaid anchor bag; and (c) a third ring connected to said first and secondrings.
 5. The striking bag as recited in claim 4, wherein said secondring is operatively connected to said anchor bag by a fourth ringconnected directly to the upper end of said anchor bag and an adjustableconnector connected to said fourth ring and said second ring,
 6. Thestriking bag as recited in claim 5, wherein said adjustable connector isa strap and buckle.
 7. The striking bag assembly as recited in claim 1,wherein the weight of said anchor bag is from 100% to 200% of the weightof said primary bag.
 8. The striking bag as recited in claim 7, whereinsaid first material is from 30 to 60 times denser than said secondmaterial.
 9. The striking bag as recited in claim 1, wherein said firstmaterial is 30 to 60 times denser than said second material.
 10. Thestriking bag as recited in claim 1, wherein said first material is foamplastic and said second material is sand.
 11. The striking bag asrecited in claim 1, wherein said first material is air and said casingis an air impervious material.
 12. The striking bag as recited in claim1, wherein said striking bag has a universal swing connector forenabling said striking bag to be suspended from said fixed support. 13.A striking bag assembly comprising: (a) a primary bag having an upperend and a lower end, said primary bag having a pliable casing and filledwith a resiliently compressible first material which enables the primarybag to be safely struck by a person; (b) a first universal swingconnector connected to the upper end of said primary bag, said universalswing connector being adapted to be connected to a fixed support forenabling said primary bag to be suspended from said fixed support forswinging motion relative to said fixed support when said primary bag issubjected to a horizontal force; (c) an anchor bag having asubstantially smaller volume than that of said primary bag, said anchorbag having a casing filled with a second material which is substantiallydenser than said first material; and (d) a second universal swingconnector connected to the lower end of said primary bag and to theupper end of said anchor bag for enabling said anchor bag to besuspended from said primary bag so that said anchor bag can swingrelative to said primary bag.
 14. The striking bag assembly as recitedin claim 13, wherein the weight of said anchor bag is from 100% to 200%of the weight of said primary bag.
 15. The striking bag as recited inclaim 14, wherein said first material is from 30 to 60 times denser thansaid second material.
 16. The striking bag as recited in claim 13,wherein said second material is from 40 to 60 times denser than saidfirst material.
 17. The striking bag as recited in claim 13, whereinsaid first material is foam plastic and said second material is sand.18. The striking bag as recited in claim 13, wherein said first materialis air and the casing of said primary bag is an air impervious material